Anaheim Ducks: Comparing Contributions of 2020 and 2021 Defensemen

Jani Hakanpaa

If there is a player the Anaheim Ducks broadcast team loves more than Jani Hakanpaa I am not aware of him. He’s getting more minutes per game than he did last season and well, it’s hard to argue that he’s really filling his end of the deal. However, offensive contributions aren’t necessarily Hakanpaa’s game, so how’s he doing in his second real season in the NHL?

Well, Hakanpaa is getting the puck on net with a little more regularity (~7.5%), however, it hasn’t translated to goal scoring as he is yet to tally one this season. He is also struggling to create rebounds, presenting a significant drop (~76.2%) from last season.

The rest of his offensive contribution is a little spotty. He has increased his assist numbers by 12%, though it’s worth noting how few he had last season (none). Similarly, his ability to create high-danger chances has increased by 12%, though again he had none last season. On the negative side, expected goals have decreased by ~12.5% as have shot attempts (~19.1%) and scoring chances (~44.2%).

Hakanpaa is also a turnover machine, committing ~176% more turnovers this season than last, and becoming one of the team leaders in this metric. A frightening number, given how little he handles the puck. These turnovers can kill offensive momentum and can create havoc on the defensive end.